This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
Bearings and bearing assemblies are used in various types of machinery and industrial equipment, such as scroll compressors. Proper lubrication of bearings and bearing assemblies is essential to successful operation of such machinery and industrial equipment. Specifically, lubricant may form a film or protective coating on the bearings or bearing assemblies. In this regard, at any given operating condition (e.g., speed, pressure, temperature, etc.) a bearing or bearing assembly may require, or otherwise be rated to operate with, a lubrication film having a specified or otherwise predetermined thickness to ensure the optimal performance of the compressor and a satisfactory operating life of the bearings or bearing assemblies. Accordingly, it is important to maintain or store a quantity of lubricant in the compressor or other piece of machinery. Often a compressor will include a lubricant sump or reservoir, and a lubrication monitoring system having a gauge and/or sensor to monitor the level or quantity of lubricant in the lubricant reservoir. The viscosity of the lubricant is also an important property to ensure the optimal performance of the compressor and a satisfactory operating life of the bearings or bearing assemblies. The viscosity of the lubricant is an important property of the oil to support the bearing loads within the compressor, reduce friction and wear between the compressor bearings and driveshaft and is also a factor in determining the lubricant film thickness. While known lubrication monitoring systems have proven acceptable for their intended purpose, a continuous need in the relevant art remains. Specifically, it may be desirable to provide a compressor having a lubricant management system that can accurately manage the lubrication of the bearings or bearing assemblies within the compressor.